Speaking at a news briefing Sunday night, Bloomington police officials described how the suspect sneaked into the men’s dressing room — which is not far from the Santa Experience at the mall — at around 6:45 P.M.

Others tweeted that they were forced to hide under clothing racks. “Just lived through the scariest experience of my life,” Jolene Situma wrote on Twitter.

“I heard someone screaming, ‘He got me! He got me!’ I knew something was not right. Some other shoppers ran toward the screaming, and someone (who I believe was the victim’s brother) yelled ‘911!’ I called the police and hid.”